Failsafe way to catch steel cases with a case feeder, cheap

[jmorris]

Playing with my PLC controled automated 1050 tonight, I was thinking of how to make sure that no steel cases could be fed into the machine. It already will have "no bullet/inverted,no cases" sensors on it but what if a steel case happened to make it into the feeder?

I grabbed a magnet off the shelf and placed it on the case feed tube spring clamp. It sucks the case to the magnet, triggers the switch to stop the feeder, pop the tube out and pull the magnet off and the case drops into your hand. Snap the tube back in and replace the magnet and your good to go (flip the case feed switch off and back on though).

Thought it would have been handy for others to know. I now run a large magnet over all cases before tumbling but could have been usefull before I did.

 

[HKGuns]

I guess I don't understand why you are sending unsorted, dirty brass through your press in the first place? I'm sure I'm missing something.

 

[jmorris]

Its all clean and sorted by caliber but steel cleans along with everything else. Not only that but you can't find steel case by sight, as S&B brass plates 9mm steel cases. I catch them before they go into my brass sorter but didn't before I knew better.

 

[Walkalong]

Most excellent. KISS. I like it.

 

[LiveLife]

I guess I don't understand why you are sending unsorted, dirty brass through your press in the first place? I'm sure I'm missing something.

Even though you presort the cases, some may get through the sorting process and the magnet will act as an extra layer of QC measure.

I think it's a great idea and the OP should repost on the "What clever little things have you "invented or discovered" that you can share?" thread - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=218188&page=40

 

[pcf]

Great idea. A friend gave me a big neodymium magnet a couple years ago, that I glued to the inside of my Dillon media separator. Any steel cases stick to it after I clean them.

Now if there was simple solution for aluminum cases.

 

[LiveLife]

Now if there was simple solution for aluminum cases.

That's easy. When my daughter was younger, we made a game of spotting aluminum cases. Now when I get presorted cases from her by caliber, I have nicely separated cases by caliber, military crimped cases and aluminum/steel cases in Folger coffee cans.

Of course, her pay off is being able to shoot as many 9mm rounds at the range as she wants.

 

[mgmorden]

I've gotten to where I just use one of those expanding magnet sticks that mechanics use to retrieve dropped bolts/screws/etc and dip it into the brass before doing much with it. It takes the steel cases out pretty easily.

I still end up visually inspecting them (usually 2-3 times) though to find berdan primed cases, mixed in .380's, and military crimped pockets.

Of course while I still do sort them out - S&B's steel cases (and I'm assume the rest of them too) actually reload just fine. This I tested and verified. I haven't made a habit of it but when I get enough of them together I might load them up for a lost brass match (ie, GSSF or something).